NASA will chase the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse with balloons and a high-altitude jet
NASA is deploying a high-altitude WB-57 jet and a network of weather balloons to observe the total solar eclipse on August 12, 2026. These efforts aim to capture unique data on the sun's corona and atmospheric changes during the event.
Why it matters
Scientific observation of solar eclipses provides critical data on the sun's impact on Earth's atmosphere, satellites, and space-based technology.
Eclipses Solar Eclipses NASA will chase the Aug. 12 total solar eclipse with balloons and a high-altitude jet News By Julian Dossett Published 11 August 2026 "Scientists can study the sun's corona in a way we can't from anywhere else in the solar system."
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